Preventing Employee Burnout In 2020: Culture, Leadership, and Empathy

A trove of 1.75 billion employee engagement surveys conducted by LinkedIn’s Glint Platform revealed some staggering data recently – that burnout signs have risen by 33% in 2020.

Even the most passionate and dedicated employees have faced unparalleled challenges this year, and at Working Spaces, we’ve identified the shifting trends in workplaces across various industries. Work can be stressful, but things are even more difficult with the change of pace COVID has created. In this new “normal” that we have adapted to, we’ve realized a few key tenets to helping your employees remain inspired, productive, and happy.

The Office Environment

Back in March of 2020, a significant change happened when an exodus of the workforce turned to the home to work remotely. While this was initially well-received, the drawbacks of a remote workforce have become more and more detrimental to companies, their employees, and their organizations as a whole. The truth is that people want to come back to the office – as much as 70%.

Your employees need some level of human contact, especially if you want them to do their best work. Being in an office together allows people to socialize, collaborate and experience an environment that’s more conducive to working hard. The “bump factor” – running into coworkers at the water cooler, quick conversations, collaborations, idea exchanges – are when epiphanies happen and culture is built. A workplace environment that’s collaborative and allows for these interactions improves the morale of all your employees.

Getting Back to the Office

Having a plan to safely reopen the office requires empathy and leadership in all manners. While some are more anxious to return to the office and get back to “normal,” other employees are equally anxious about exposing themselves and their families to the virus. That’s why your organization should have a clear and detailed roadmap for how to safely return to the office and allow your employees to feel comfortable and safe in their modified environment.

You may need to change the layout of your office to get your employees back to work in 2020, but there are ways to do it properly. It’s important to make sure employee workstations are at least six feet apart if possible, and you may even want to install partitions to keep droplets from spreading around the office.

Innovations in office furniture products have also shifted towards new materials that are sanitizable and modular to accommodate new office layouts and address employee concerns. Working Spaces has published a guide, “The Blueprint for a Safe Return to the Office,” to request a copy fill out our contact form for more information.

A Helping Hand

Stopping employee burnout and getting back to the office is important for your business, and Working Spaces can help. As a Kimball select dealer, we can find and install the best office furniture for your needs, including bleach-cleanable furniture, as well as provide detailed guidance. Give us a call today to find out more about how you can safely get back to the office to improve productivity, prevent burnout from impacting you in 2021.